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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

Sec. Agricultural and Food Economics

Volume 9 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1647826

This article is part of the Research TopicClimate Change and Sustainable Food Security: Prospects and Challenges of Feeding 9 Billion PeopleView all 7 articles

Heterogeneous Mitigation Effects of Adaptation Initiatives on Grain Yield Losses from Extreme Temperatures in China:Implications for Sustainable Nutrition and Food Security

Provisionally accepted
Feng  YeFeng Ye1Jiaxin  HuJiaxin Hu1Jian  LuoJian Luo2Jiawei  WangJiawei Wang3*
  • 1Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
  • 2Jiangxi Academy of Socialism, Nanchang, China
  • 3Jiangxi Open University, Nanchang, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Introduction: The increasing frequency of extreme weather events has posed significant challenges to global food security. While it is well established that such events can reduce food production, the specific effects of different types of extreme weather on food security, as well as the heterogeneous mitigation strategies available, remain inadequately understood. Methods: This paper systematically analyzes the impacts of extreme high and low temperature events on maize yields using panel data from major maize-producing regions in China from 2000 to 2023, highlighting the potential threats climate extremes pose to food security. Results and discussion: The findings reveal that: (1) extreme high temperatures significantly suppress maize yields, with the number of extreme heat days showing a consistent negative effect nationwide and across regional and growth-stage subsamples, particularly pronounced in northern summer maize-producing areas, indicating heat stress as a key constraint on stable grain production and supply; (2) the effects of extreme low temperatures exhibit clear regional heterogeneity, with southern spring-sown maize more vulnerable to late frosts during seedling and nodulation stages, resulting in greater yield losses, whereas in northern regions, low temperatures mostly occur before sowing and have a limited impact; (3) the adverse effects of extreme temperatures have intensified over time, with extreme heat impacts worsening in recent years— reflecting cumulative climate risks and agricultural system vulnerability — while the negative impacts of low temperatures have somewhat diminished since 2010, indicating improved farmer adaptation; (4) agricultural insurance and protected agriculture have significantly mitigated the impacts of extreme low temperatures on maize yields, demonstrating their effectiveness in cold climates, but have yet to provide significant buffering against yield losses from extreme heat, suggesting opportunities to optimize existing insurance mechanisms and protective agricultural technologies.These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of climate adaptation strategies and support the achievement of SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger) and 13 (Climate Action) through enhancing resilience in the agri-food system.

Keywords: Extreme temperatures, Maize yield, Food security, Agricultural insurance, Protected agriculture

Received: 17 Jun 2025; Accepted: 03 Sep 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Ye, Hu, Luo and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Jiawei Wang, Jiangxi Open University, Nanchang, China

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